Saeima commission agrees to at least temporarily ban child adoption to foreign countries

Publication date: 18 June 2020

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June 18, 2020

adoption, USA, adoption ban, Human Rights Committee, SaeimaOn Wednesday, 17 June, Saeima’s Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee decided to submit to the parliament amendments that provide for banning child adoption to foreign countries as of 1 September.

This regulation will remain in force until amendments to the Law on the Protection of the Children’s Rights and other related regulations regarding child adoption abroad have come to force, as reported y Saeima’s press-service.

‘Data shows in the past two years Latvian children were adopted only to USA – the only country in the world that has not signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,’ said chairman of the Saeima committee Artuss Kaimi?š.

«Risks found in the existing adoption order show that it is not possible for us to check if adoption to foreign countries is the best for those children. Also we do not know what happens to these children after adoption. Previously, when discussion child adoption to foreign countries, we came to the conclusion we want more control over transferring Latvian citizens to live outside the country’s borders. Until flaws we have uncovered are fixed, no new adoptions should be allowed.»

It is intended for the ban on child adoption to foreign countries to come to force 1 September 2020.

One exception will be applicable to already commenced adoption cases in which information about adopted children is provided. In such cases regulations that were in place at the time of adoption process will remain in force. Exceptions will apply to cases if the adoption concerns the child of the other spouse or if the child is adopted by relatives.

Additionally, amendments provide delegating to the Cabinet of Ministers to develop a methodic to determine the best interest for children.

In order to perform relevant changes, it is necessary to add amendments to the Law on the Protection of the Children’s Rights and the Civil Law.

Kaimi?š previously said the matter regarding child adoption ended up on the table of the Human Rights Committee in March 2020 after cases uncovered by the Ombudsman’s Office when the Orphan Court makes decisions on ending a child’s stay in foster family in Latvia and instead putting children in a child care institution so that it is possible to adopt them to a foreign country.

Keywords: adoption adoption ban Human Rights Committee Saeima USA

Countries: Latvia